Call for papers. Use and reuse of paper in the pre-industrial world. Cork, Ireland, 27-28 August 2024

It is a great pleasure to announce a colloquium on the use and reuse of paper in the pre-industrial world, to be held 27-28 August 2024 in Cork, Ireland.
 

The topics include but are not limited to:

To what uses was paper put, apart from books and manuscripts? What historical sources and artefacts bear witness to such uses?

·        Did paper replace other materials or did it create new needs?

·        How did the use and reuse of paper spread through our world? How widespread was the use of paper in society? Are there differences of use and reuse with regard to geographical or social aspects?

·        When did the reuse of paper start, when did it stop and were there specific events that led to the reuse of paper?

·        Does the reuse of handmade paper give us general clues about the age, or 'life expectancy' of paper? For how long was paper in circulation?

·        What manuscripts and books were prone to be recycled and to contain recycled materials?

·        To what new uses was recycled paper put, apart from manuscripts and books?

We welcome proposals from all disciplines and we especially encourage scholars, librarians, archivists, conservators and other interested parties from outside Europe to send us an abstract and to attend our colloquium. More information can be found here: https://papertrailsiceland.wixsite.com/papertrails/use-reuse-paper
Please feel free to circulate the call for papers.

Participation is free of charge but attendees and presenters are responsible for their own travel and accommodation. 

Please send abstracts of 200-300 words no later than 31 March 2024 to silvia(a)hi.is.